Good prospects for maize and wheat production in 2014

Harvesting of the July-November winter maize and wheat crop, which accounts for about 30/40 percent of annual maize production and is the main wheat crop, is currently under way.

The total production of wheat (summer and winter crops) for this year is expected to reach a level of around 275 000 tonnes, 4 percent below the record 2013 harvest, but still 22 percent above the average of the last five years. This high production level reflects an increase in area planted and higher yields in 2013 and 2014 for both the summer and the winter crops. Despite this increase, however, domestic production only covers 35 percent of the country’s consumption needs, and the government continues to import large volumes of wheat grain and flour, mainly from Argentina, the United States of America and Uruguay. In the case of maize, production of 1.1 million tonnes is forecast for the year, very similar to the record levels achieved in 2012 and 2013. The high level of production this year is explained mainly by an increase in area sown and the output of the winter crop, in response to the production incentives granted by the government. In contrast, rice, which is only grown as a summer crop (October-June), is expected to produce a small harvest of 357 000 tonnes, similar to the low 2013 levels, owing to heavy rainfall during the planting period.

Total cereal production in 2014 is set to be around 2.5 million tonnes, slightly above the previous year’s level.

Maize and wheat flour prices fall further in October

Maize prices in October have continued the downward trend which began in July following the main summer harvest, and are more than 20 percent below their levels of a year ago. Wheat flour prices have also fallen sharply in recent months, and in October were nearly 40 percent lower than a year earlier, as a result of the large volume of imports and good prospects for the winter crop.

Heatwave emergency in 14 Santa Cruz municipalities

An intensive heatwave has hit the departments of Santa Cruz, La Paz and Chuquisaca in the last few weeks. On 22 October, the Department of Santa Cruz declared a drought emergency in 12 municipalities; and two further municipalities were added to the list on 25 October, one because of drought and the other for lack of water. The Government activated a contingency plan which includes dispatching 22 tankers containing drinking water, and it allocated BOB 4 million (USD 575 000) to help the 30 000 worst affected families.